There is some evidence that brood health is actually enhanced by being raised in old comb. Old combs are heavily propolized and propolis is known to have antiseptic qualities. This benefit may be offset by the accumulation of viruses, pesticides, etc. In the wild, honey bee colonies are known to survive for about six years (Seeley, 1978). 


> In Europe comb replacement in the brood nest of honey bee colonies is generally regarded as an important sanitary measure and, therefore, is widely practiced. In contrast, combs in the USA are often used for decades before they are shifted out. Old combs are durable during extraction and wax renewal involves labor. In addition, experimental results indicate more efficient storage of honey in dark combs and drawing out comb foundation during the honeyflow reduces the honey yield. However, there are many arguments in favor of comb replacement. FRIES (1988)


> Bees prefer to store honey and pollen in cells that have been previously used for brood rearing. In the wild, as a colony grows and continues to add new comb, brood rearing gradually shifts into this new comb and the honey is stored in the old brood comb (Free & Williams, 1974)… Wax comb acts as a reservoir for absorbing and transmitting pheromones which may explain why honey bee swarms are more attracted to older comb … 

> The presence of brood pheromones stimulates pollen foraging, enhances brood recognition and stimulates nurse bees to feed larvae, all of which are important factors in brood survivorship. Free & Winder (1983) determined that brood survival was greater in cells which had been used previously for brood rearing than in comb cells never used before. Taken together these studies demonstrate that pheromones incorporated in wax comb may improve brood survivorship. The differences in brood survivorship noted in our study may be partly explained by more optimal concentrations of brood pheromones in older comb. 

> Over three years of field study, honey bee colonies housed on new comb had a greater area of total brood, a greater area of sealed brood, and higher weight of individual young bees. Brood survivorship was the only variable significantly higher in old comb. The bulk of the evidence suggests that new combs optimize overall honey bee colony health and reproduction. These findings suggest that beekeepers should eliminate very old brood combs from their operations.  BERRY; DELAPLANE (2000)

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